Your next adventure could be a moment together.
Now that you have met Pigúiça here, discover the story behind her world. See the illustrations, read the beginning and choose a book to share with your child, one page at a time.
Looking for sports riddles for kids? Here are 20 with answers, from soccer and swimming to volleyball, gymnastics and racing. They are split into three levels, so you can start gently and raise the difficulty as your child gets excited.
The 20 sports riddles
Read each clue slowly, let your child think and only then show the answer. If they get stuck, repeat the clue and add a hint, like where the sport is played (court, pool, street) or whether it needs a ball.
Easy (ages 3 to 5)
- I am round and I roll across the grass. Everybody runs after me to kick me. Who am I? Answer: a soccer ball.
- You do me in the water: kick your legs, move your arms and go from one side of the pool to the other without touching the bottom. What am I? Answer: swimming.
- I live at the back of the net, and everybody shouts when the ball goes into me. Who am I? Answer: the goal.
- I have two wheels, pedals and handlebars. You pedal and I take you for a ride. What am I? Answer: a bicycle.
- You swing me over your head and jump, jump, jump without tripping. What am I? Answer: a jump rope.
- I am a hoop with a net, way up high. The big orange ball has to go through me to score. What am I? Answer: a basketball hoop.
- I have little wheels and I go on your feet. With my friends, you glide along the track. Who am I? Answer: roller skates.
Medium (ages 5 to 7)
- There is a tall net in the middle of the court. The ball flies over it, and nobody can let it hit the floor on their side. What am I? Answer: volleyball.
- Everyone starts from the same line, and whoever reaches the finish line first wins. What am I? Answer: a race.
- I am a board with four little wheels. Whoever rides me stands on top and does tricks. What am I? Answer: a skateboard.
- I do cartwheels, rolls and balance on the beam. I also use ribbons and colorful balls. Who am I? Answer: gymnastics.
- I use a racket and a small yellow ball that bounces back and forth over the net. What am I? Answer: tennis.
- I live in the mouth of the person in charge of the game. When I blow, everybody stops. What am I? Answer: the referee's whistle.
- I hang around the neck of the winner. I can be gold, silver or bronze. What am I? Answer: a medal.
Challenge (ages 7 to 8)
- I am a very long running race, 42 kilometers. Whoever finishes me deserves lots of applause. What am I? Answer: the marathon.
- Four friends run as a team, and each one hands a baton to the next. What is this race called? Answer: a relay race.
- We happen every four years, with athletes from many countries. Our symbol is five colorful rings. Who are we? Answer: the Olympic Games.
- In soccer, the ball sits still on a spot, only the goalkeeper stands in front of the kicker and the whole stadium holds its breath. What am I? Answer: a penalty kick.
- I am a special clock that counts seconds and even hundredths of a second. Athletes look at me to see if they broke a record. What am I? Answer: a stopwatch.
- I have a bow and an arrow, and my target is made of colorful circles. The closer to the center, the more points. Who am I? Answer: archery.
How to play at each age
Ages 3 to 5
Use the easy riddles and ask for the move as soon as your child gets it right: kick an imaginary ball, swim with their arms, pedal lying on their back. Little ones often get it right with their bodies before they find the word.
Ages 5 to 7
With the medium riddles, ask for a second clue: «Does this sport use a ball?» or «How many players?». That way your child learns something new about each sport, not just its name.
Ages 7 to 8
For the challenge, let your child invent a sports riddle for you. They have to pick two good clues, which is great practice for vocabulary and reasoning.
Backyard game: guess it, then act it out!
Here is the tip that works best: after your child solves a riddle, they act out the sport with their body. Answered volleyball? Jump and pretend to spike. Answered swimming? Swim with arms across the rug. Answered roller skates? Slide along the hallway in socks, with an adult nearby.
For a group game, one child acts silently and the others guess the sport. You can also turn it into a circuit: each right answer becomes a task, like ten jumps with the rope or five rolls on a mat. Agree first on a free space without sharp corners, and keep water nearby. The game burns energy and keeps everybody laughing.
To keep the fun going
After the last riddle, the free coloring pages to print are a perfect break: your child can color the sports scene they liked most. Pigúiça's free game runs in the browser, with no sign-up and no ads. And the cartoon episodes are free too.
For bedtime, the book Dogavios, by Lucas dos Reis Arieme, takes Pigúiça, the blue-eyed husky, and her friend Fofuxo to the Magic Garden.
Frequently asked questions
At what age do kids understand sports riddles?
Around age 3 or 4, when they already know balls, pools and bicycles. Start with the easy ones and let your child set the pace.
Can I make up my own riddles?
You can, and you should. Pick a sport, think of two or three things your child knows about it, like the place, the equipment and the sound, and finish with «Who am I?». If they help you create it, the fun doubles.
What if my child does not know the answer?
That is fine. Give an extra clue, act out the sport or show a picture in a book. The goal is to have fun together, not to pass a test.
Your next adventure could be a moment together.
Now that you have met Pigúiça here, discover the story behind her world. See the illustrations, read the beginning and choose a book to share with your child, one page at a time.
Your next adventure could be a moment together.
Now that you have met Pigúiça here, discover the story behind her world. See the illustrations, read the beginning and choose a book to share with your child, one page at a time.
